WASHINGTON — A disconnect among high school teachers, principals, administrators and parents may affect the amount of instruction focusing on civics and current events for younger Americans.
“Unfortunately, many of them [students] will graduate from high school knowing the bare basics they learned from their government class,” said Christiane Gunn, a high school social studies teacher and a member of the Broward Teachers Union in South Florida. “Other than the pledge and commemorating something like 9/11 with a moment of silence, there’s very little … push to bring up the issue of civics…”
Although 90 percent of teachers believe their principals would approve of curriculum that includes government and elections education, only 38 percent think district administrators would uphold such courses. And only 28 percent think parents would be supportive, according to a report released Wednesday by CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, an organization that studies civic engagement among youth.
The report’s findings are based on surveys and interviews with nearly 6,000 young Americans, 720 high school civics or government teachers, and a number of nonprofit youth advocacy groups.
Researchers found that teachers are less likely to foster current events discussions in class if they believe administrators and parents won’t back them up.
Gunn, in a telephone interview, said her school administrators in Florida do not emphasize a current events curriculum. But she said talking about controversial issues helps students learn to debate and understand both sides of an argument. She asks her students to get caught up with news by watching CNN, MSNBC, Headline News or Fox while they’re getting ready for school.
“I tell students that regardless of which one they choose to watch, they’re still getting the news,” she said.
However, some parents wonder if controversial current events are too sensitive for high school students to discuss.
“When it comes to controversial material, it can’t be that subjective,” said Stella Edwards, chair of the legislative committee of the National Parent Teacher Association. “There has to be very defined lines so teachers and administrators know what not to cross.”
Christiane Gunn said a parent called the principal when she showed her students a movie that the parent thought was inappropriate. She had to explain to the principal that even though the movie was PG-13, it held historical value important for the students to understand, she said.
Although some principals feel they need to honor parents’ wishes regarding touchy issues, Richard Flanary, deputy executive director for programs and services at the National Association of Secondary School Principals, said it is difficult to create specific guidelines for teachers on how to handle sensitive subjects.
“A principal can offer guidelines and most principals will deal with faculty around how you deal with these types of situations … but classrooms aren’t static kinds of environments,” Flanary said in a phone interview. “There’s lots of variables and there’s lots of kids, and the kids are inquisitive and they can be challenging.”
However, Curtis Gans, the director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University, said although civics curriculum is important, other factors also hinder youth’s ability to get more involved, including a lack of interest by their parents and hostility among some adults toward the government.
“Given the low level of civic knowledge, the fragmenting of our information base,” Gans said, “if schools would engage in attempting to make politics and current events a major part of the classroom experience and citizenship a major part of the educational purpose, it would help. It can’t hurt.”
In her Florida classroom, Gunn said she does not allow her school administration’s lack of focus on civics hinder her choice to continue to teach the subject.
“I don’t feel discouraged because I know that I’m doing a service,” Gunn said. “I think that if each teacher … promotes it through their course … then the message can get out to the students.”